The Committee on Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations also recommended initiating conversations with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to see whether a joint Catholic-Presbyterian statement regarding those historic condemnations can be reached.
The Heidelberg Catechism, from 1563, says, for example, that “the Mass is fundamentally a complete denial of the once for all sacrifice and passion of Jesus Christ (and as such an idolatry to be condemned).”
The Westminster Confession of Faith, from 1647, calls the pope “AntiChrist.” And the French Confession of 1559 speaks the sacraments in the Catholic church being “corrupted, bastardized, falsified or annihilated altogether.”
Joseph Small, who leads the PC(USA)’s Office of Theology and Worship, said the confessions should be seen both as documents that guide the faith and life of the church and as historic documents that reflect the culture and language of the times in which they were written.
Language about Catholics in the confessions which today seems offensive, derogatory and pejorative does not reflect the attitude of Presbyterians now, Small said but he does not recommend trying to change the confessions themselves, because they should be allowed to have historical integrity (and “might well deprive us of some salutary examples of what happens when our language gets ahead of our thought,” he said.)
Small also told the committee that “the Roman Catholic church in the 16th and 17th centuries had some pretty harsh things to say about us too.”
A report to the Assembly says that “condemnations and derogatory characterizations of the Catholic Church grew from momentous doctrinal disputes, especially in the areas of ecclesiology and the sacraments. Real differences in doctrine remain,” and are being explored in both national and international dialogues between Reformed denominations and the Catholic church.
